Police Codes of Ethics

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how virtually all police departments have some kind of formal "Code of Ethics", or guidelines, that tell the members of the police force what is and is not acceptable behavior. It looks at how the police in any community have tremendous power and how it's important that the officers to whom the public entrust their safety act in honorable and ethical ways. It explores how, because of the Internet, it is possible for concerned citizens and anyone else to view the codes of ethics for many police departments across the country. It compares and contrasts the Code of Conduct for Washington, D.C. and Denver and Detroit, which have nearly identical codes, word for word.

From the Paper:

"Grundstein-Amado (2001) argues that codes of ethics should serve three purposes: to inform the public about the goals of the organization; to encourage an ethical climate within the organization; and provide a structure for resolving ethical questions. However, it could also be reasonably stated that informing the public about the goals of the organization might be better done with a mission statement and that no code of conduct could be detailed enough to provide a plan for resolving ethical questions, which could range from charges of decision-making based on race to taking bribes to unwarranted violence against arrestees."

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